Toodyay Cup is back for 2024

Shire votes 4-2 and the Toodyay Cup is back in town

by Sean Hefferon

TWO Special Council Meetings were held late last month.

The first meeting considered items that had not been dealt with due to the adjournment of the December 2023 Ordinary Council Meeting.

The December meeting was adjourned when two elected members and an executive manager left the meeting to attend to the fire emergency that had commenced earlier that day.

A number of items were considered at the first meeting including a proposal from the Toodyay Race Club seeking Shire support for various remediation works that would
enable the Toodyay Cup and Picnic Race Day to occur on 22 September 2024.

Key to the proposal’s success was the Shire agreeing to fund the replacement of the roof and guttering over the Tote and horseshoe public bar area.

The proposal and the Shire officer’s recommendation in respect to it was debated in council.

Out of the starting gates at the Toodyay Races.

The Shire officer’s recommendation included that Council confirms support for
the return of the Toodyay Cup and Picnic Race Day to the Toodyay Racecourse in
2024 and that up to $200,000 be allocated from the Asset Development Reserve for
this work and that other funding sources were investigated to support the Shire’s
contribution.

The current balance of the reserve is just over $600,000 with $145,000 committed to
other projects – including the Bejoording Fire Station.

Council debate focused on a number of areas such as Shire financial priorities and the benefits of the Cup returning to Toodyay.

The council voted 4-2 in favour of the recommendation so the Toodyay Cup and
Picnic Race Day is back.